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Solano capitalizing on opportunity with Marlins

Solano capitalizing on opportunity with Marlins

LOS ANGELES -- In Spring Training, Donovan Solano was trying to show he was worthy of a big league opportunity.

Now, the 24-year-old infielder is proving that he belongs.

"He's been a really good story for us, especially coming into Spring Training when nobody had seen him yet," Marlins hitting coach Eduardo Perez said.

Solano has become a fixture in the lineup since Omar Infante was traded to the Tigers on July 23.

A native of Colombia, he has been playing regularly at second base. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a fifth-inning single on Sunday. And he had one stretch on the road trip -- Aug. 20-22 -- in which he reached base safely nine straight times.

"He's playing really good defense out there. He's fundamentally sound, as far as I'm concerned," Perez said. "Offensively, he is doing the little things. He got that runner over [Saturday], which set the table."

August has been Solano's best month, as he's batting .304 with a double, triple and seven RBIs.

A non-roster invitee to Spring Training, Solano previously was in the Cardinals' system, where he never had a big league opportunity.

Perez formerly played for St. Louis, and he gathered some insight after Solano was acquired.

"I had heard that he was a good, solid ballplayer, but he was a guy who never had any experience in the big leagues," Perez said. "He never had the opportunity. He's seized the most of it, and did it while coming off the bench.

"He knows he belongs. That's huge. It's big for him, his family. It's confidence. Next year, he will go into Spring Training in a different role. He will try to increase himself to the ballclub, and us figuring out if he can play at this level or not."